The regulatory crisis in global trade and the era of trade wars and the Western sanctions against China and Russia that have unfolded in recent years have hastened already-rapid growth in bilateral trade between the states.

Railroads play a crucial role in the Eurasian ITCs. Because of the speed and reliability of deliveries it provides, railway transportation is starting to compete with shipment by sea (advantage of speed) and air (advantage of cost). The competition with alternative routes has to be taken into account, whereas the strategy should be built around the available advantages of the existing routes and the complementary nature of others.